Sadie’s Recipe for Success

As Sadie pedaled down the fourth-floor hallways at Shriners Children's Texas, a wide smile spread across her face.

She was riding a bike for only the second time in her life. Just weeks earlier, she had taken her first ride using a test prosthesis. Now, fitted with her finalized prosthetic arm and a specialized attachment for gripping the handlebars, she was back on the bike and eager to go farther than before.

Twelve-year-old Sadie was born with phocomelia, a rare limb difference affecting her right arm, and is also receiving treatment for scoliosis at Shriners Children's Texas. Since her first visit in December 2025, she has worked closely with the Pediatric Orthotic and Prosthetic Services team to gain new tools that support her needs. She received a scoliosis brace in January 2026 and a prosthetic arm months later, helping make her ride down the hallway possible.

Up to this point, Sadie has learned to do much of daily life on her own, becoming accustomed to using her left hand for many everyday tasks.

“I can tie my shoes. I can button my pants. I can take a shower. I can go to the bathroom. I can wash my hands,” she said.

Hannah Zesiger, MS, L/CPO, walked Sadie through the features of her new prosthesis, including a hand attachment, a hook designed for fine motor tasks, and a bike attachment. Now, with her new prosthetic arm, Sadie is looking forward to tackling even more activities, including spending more time in the kitchen. An avid baker and cook, Sadie already knows how to make eggs, homemade bread, chocolate chip cookies, brownies, enchiladas and even strawberry bundt cake. Her new prosthesis will help her perform two-handed tasks that can be challenging, such as holding a bowl steady while stirring ingredients.

“We were blessed to adopt Sadie and her brother when she was 6 years old,” her dad said. “When she was little, she didn’t get a lot of that initial care. But she’s really progressed and done very, very well. She can do a lot of things on her own now.”

Sadie enjoys cross-stitching, reading the Little House on the Prairie series, studying spelling and grammar, and listening to a mix of gospel and country music. If you ask her what she wants to be when she grows up, she’d say she wants to be a kindergarten teacher. If you ask her what she thinks about Galveston, she’ll tell you that too.

“I love diving or swimming under the waves at the beach,” Sadie said. “My dad and I went to the beach after our last appointment, and after my first appointment, we ate seafood by the shore.”

Sadie’s prosthetic arm isn't the only device helping her reach her goals. To help correct the curvature of her spine, she also wears a scoliosis brace for up to 18 hours a day. While she chose a natural skin tone for her prosthetic arm, her brace reflects a different side of her personality, covered in colorful unicorns and flowers.

For Sadie, having a limb difference is just one part of who she is.

“I'm unique, and God created me in his own image, and he made me with a short arm,” she said. With new recipes to try, crochet lessons on the horizon and plenty more bike rides ahead, Sadie already has her sights set on what's next.

“My prosthetists at Shriners [Children's] always help me,” she said. “Everyone here is so nice.”